Disguised

Tending to the compost bin recently I noticed what looked like a bee come to investigate. It looked and flew like a bee in that its path was cautious, slow and deliberate as it entered the open drum and made its way around inside.

When it stopped on the plastic rim of the entrance I got a few shots and it became apparent it was a fly, by the eyes and other parts, to me.

A bee mimicking fly, must afford it some advantage. Difficult to see past the disguise in motion.

Mark’s photo of this fly is so clear that I am able to identify the type of bee this fly is mimicking. It is a halictid bee belonging to the genus “Lipotriches”. Here is an image (much poorer than Mark’s image!) of the type of bee this fly mimics: http://researchdata.museum.vic.gov.au/images/mark.jpg Cheers Ken

We have a number of yellow & black flies (hoverflies) that mimic bees, spiders that mimic ants, and moths that mimic hummingbirds, but I haven’t seen anything quite like this one before. Beautiful catch!

It looks like a cross breed between the two! Those legs are so bee like. I find that the big flies tend to be very slow when it is cold, I killed my first for the season yesterday with a yoga block. ( Om Mani Padme Hum ) It is almost spring here in Victoria, before we know it the filthy flies will be everywhere. What lens are you using for this shot?